Feminism in Pygmalion (Play Analysis)

During the 1910s, women's rights were on the mind of all but not considered to be of extreme importance. However; in Pygmalion, Shaw’s take on the topic of feminism and a woman’s place in society as a whole is quite modern and is considered very relevant throughout the play. Rooted from the Greek poem similarly known as Pygmalion, common threads appear as the play progresses. The statue, existing as marble for almost the entire poem, is embodied as a low-class, crude-speaking woman named Eliza Doolittle. As the statue experiences a life-changing transformation, Liza does as well by shifting into a well-spoken woman of high class with the help of phonetics and some wealthy mentors. A second character that experiences an identical ascension into high class, and coincidentally a relative of Liza’s, is Doolittle, her father. To “stay true to his feminism,” Shaw places a very headstrong female to voice his opinions and shed light on the sexist ways of the upper class. Doolittle’s purpose highlights the opposition that the lower class experiences. For women of high class, it is considered taboo to support yourself and get a job, while for the lower classes, it is of great need and seen as a gift to have a steady income. Demonstrated specifically in Acts I - III, Bernard Shaw is “true to his feminism” through the extreme transformation of the characters Eliza and Doolittle. Even though they experience a “rags to riches” storyline that changes their physical appearance, their strong mentality never wavers regarding equality for women.

Eliza Doolittle, the main female protagonist of the play, experiences much character development demonstrated by her evident rags to riches story. Shaw describes her as “not at all a romantic figure” (Shaw I. 10), to finally, a princess that possesses “a beautiful gravity that awes” (III. 70). Thanks to Henry Higgins and his magical phonetic alphabet, such a feat was accomplished. He was able to train and teach her in such a way that she began to “speak exactly like Queen Victoria” (III. 72) after being seen as a “creature with … kerbstone English” (I. 18) only a couple months earlier. The cause of such an extreme change to occur is through the coincidental meeting of Liza and Higgins one rainy night. Higgins, hearing her unintelligible and incoherent diction, states how “in three months I could pass that girl off as a duchess” (I. 18). With the help of funds from a fellow phonetic enthusiast and professional known as Colonel Pickering, Liza learns proper English and the mentality that goes along with it; female equality is nonexistent. 

In a high-class environment, a woman working is an act of “blackening” a family's name. During the sequel on page 116 when Freddy and Liza decide to break the news of opening their very own shop, they are met with a surprise. They “found the little household already convulsed by a prior announcement from Clara that she was going to work in an old furniture shop” (116). Because Clara wants to go out and work and make a name for herself, she is seen as disgusting for doing so, evident by the use of the word “convulsed.” For the duration of Liza’s transformation one thing never changes and that is her feelings toward being treated as equal in the presence of men. Even though she climbs the social ladder with the help of the power of phonetics, she descends more and more away from the world of feminism that low class life presents. As she progresses, so did her need for equality, the opposite of what upper class society expects from women. At the end of the final act, Higgins and Liza have an emotional fight full of heated exclamations and feelings of betrayal. She boldly states how she is “not afraid of [him], and can do without [him]” (V. 105) for she knows she is equal to him. Although Liza is a woman that owes her great transformation to Higgins, what doesn’t change is her opinion on feminism and her personal belief system regarding equality.

Alfred Doolittle, a man that goes from a common dustman to a wealthy gentleman, follows a similar rags to riches story arc throughout the play Pygmalion. From a low-class man that boldly sells his daughter off for alcohol to a wealthy high-class gentleman that is seen as a respected professional executing lectures overseas, Doolittle experiences the most obvious and extreme physical change in the play. When we first meet him in Act two, he is presented as an “elderly but vigorous dustman” (II. 41) that has come to investigate the whereabouts of his daughter. As the conversation between Doolittle and Higgins progresses, the topic of women arises. Doolittle states how in regards to his girlfriend he always has “got to give her presents” (II. 47) and “got to buy her clothes” (II. 47) for he is “a slave to that woman” (II. 47). Such a statement is opposite of how high class men feel in terms of their own women because they are really slaves to them and their money. During the early 20th century in the world of wealth, women depended on men for everything, for they were the only ones that could work without shaming the family’s name. In Doolittle’s relationship, there is a modern power dynamic where the woman has all the power and the man does not. This demonstrates how Shaw is “true to his feminism” by depicting an opposite power dynamic where the woman holds most of the power in the relationship, which is uncommon and unheard of for that time period.

Bernard Shaw, the author behind the theatrical adaptation of the classic Greek poem Pygmalion, is “true to his feminism” through the extreme class change of the characters Eliza and Doolittle. Eliza demonstrates a need for equality between the two genders while Doolittle exemplifies the power over which feminism has on his own life and relationship. By creating characters that experience an extreme physical shift, a difference in thought process follows, causing opinions on feminism to become more prominent. With a plethora of taboo opinions and ideas about important topics hidden within the lines of Pygmalion, it makes one wonder how many seeds of change were sprouted in the minds of the early 20th century audiences.